Electric fixture



May 7, 1940 G. ARRAS l ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed Jan. l2, 1937 yll Il fg@ (27H25, 'I

f @/MMMMW i www Patented May 7, 1940 i' UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFlCE l 2,199,905 l Y H ELECTRIC t,

` George Arras, Chicago, Ill. Application January -12, 1937, Serial No. 120,273

, 11 Claims. (Cl.240-85) This invention relates in general to an electric there is no relative rotary movement between the -xture and has more particular reference to a parts, the ele'ctrical connections once made at Iron-rotatingor sliding connection type of comthe start of the connecting movement will conbinedfelectri'cal connector and fixture support. tinue in the same engagement throughout the f5 An important object of the invention is in the connectionv of the parts, the fixture parts are :i5 provision of a combined support and electrical moved'relatively tov each other in the same or connector which is moved' slidably instead of parallel planes4 so that the wiping movement of rotatably-to make the necessary electrical conthe electrical contacts makes a dependable elec'- `nections and to secure the xture supporting tricaljoint, and when the parts are properly enpartstogether. gaged they are resiliently or otherwise locked in 10 A further object of the invention is in the proengaged position from which they cannot be vision of a non-rotating Itype of connector for disengaged except by positive intentional movean electric fixture in which the parts to be conment of the parts for disconnection. -nected are rst tilted slightly with respect to Referring now more p-articularly to 'the draw'- each other, then moved together, and then are ing, this invention is illustrated in connection 15 slipped laterally'with respectto each other withwith a fixture support Ill in connection with a out electrically disconnecting the parts, and are removable lamp socket II and a reflector or shade 'then` held or locked tightly together in parallel I2. 'Ihe support may be held in any desired posirelation. tion, as by means of a conduit or pipe I3 through y Astill further object of the invention is in the which the electrical conductors (not shown) ex- 20 prcvision of means in connection with the parts tend to the fixture. In the support an insulating v'for accurately positioning them so that they will terminal plug I4 usually made yof porcelain or be in proper register when moved together. similar materiahis secured by one or more fas- Other objects of the invention will appear, the tening screws I5, providing a holder for a pluf preferred constructions being shown in the acrality ofspring socket receptacles I6 each com- .2.5

companying drawing in which prising a pair of spaced springs for receiving Fig 1 is a side elevation of an electric fixture spring blades Il 'slidably therebetween.

including a shade or reflector, embodying the At the outer or lower edge of the support I0 is principles of this invention;` a flange I8 preferably Somewhat larger than the '30 f Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the connector and remainder of the support, having undercut re- 30 support when the attachment is complete; cessesIS and. 2U at opposite sides thereof. These Fig. 3 is `a section taken on the line 3-3 of undercut portions are preferably angular and Fig.` 2; have outer sides which are parallel, one of the Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing the first stage portions 20 having angular ledges or shoulders A: vof connecting the parts shown in Fig. 2; 2| at the opposite outer edges for seating and 35 Fig. 5is a sectional view showing an intermepositioning a fixture plate as hereafter set forth. diate stage of the connection of the parts; At the upper or inner end of the lamp socket I I Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a modification; and is a 'central insulating core 2'2 from which the Fig. '7 is a View from the under side of the blades Il, three in this case, extend and to which '4"0 structure shown in Fig. 6. they are rigidly fastened. Each blade is pref- 40 In connecting the parts of an electric fixture, erably formed with a slight offset so that it will either the lamp socket or the shade holder, or flt accurately into and between the spring memboth, it is common practice to rotate one part bers of each receiving socket IG and the lsocket With respect to the other. 'This is objectionable extremities of these blades are connected through for many reasons, among which are, that it limits the end of the socket member lI to the inside 45 the type of electrical contacts, it provides a conthereof, preferably to a central terminal 23, a nection which may be easily disengaged or jarred surrounding ring terminal 24, and a threaded loose the parts may not properly engage, formlamp socket ring 25. These three conductors are ingapoor electrical connection or a poor meelectrically spaced apart in awell known manner vchanical jointyand the electrical connections within the socket and the three terminals are 50 may be twisted or disengaged, resulting in a provided for any multiple filament type of lamp Wrong connection or a short-circuit. now 'commonly employed in lighting fixtures, the

The present invention overcomes these objecspecic construction of the socket and the tertions by providing av sliding type of connection minals forming no particular part of the present in'which therevis ,no twisting of the conductors, application. 55

Also secured to the inner end of the socket I I is an attachment plate 26 having opposite inwardly turned arms 2 attached through the inside of the socket by fastening screws `28. 'Ihis plate is cut out at the top to insulate it from the terminal blades Il and is bodily carried and movable with the socket and its connector blades In order to support a reflector or shade I2 the end of its reduced portion is provided with an opening 29 preferably hexagonal in shape and of such a size that the blades II will extend freely through it without engagement therewith. A washer or gasket 30 is then appliedk over the end of the shade and an attachment plate 3| is secured to the plate 26 by short fastening screws 32.

This plate 3l yis also provided with a central opening 33 which is free from contact with the projecting blades Il and one portion of the opening may be formed with an Yangular projection 34 which engages in a corresponding recess 35 in the core 22 to accurately position vthe plate with respect thereto. The other plate 26 is also preferably formed with an angular projection '(not shown) similar to the projection 34 of the outer plate 3l for accurately positioning it with respect to the core 22.

When the fastening screws- 32 are inserted tightly, connecting the plates 3! and 26 with the end of the shade l2 therebetween, the lamp socket II'is positively connected to the end of the shade with the socket in proper position therein, the blades I'I and the plate 3l extending from the end of the shade or reflector' ready for attachment to the support. At opposite sides of this plate 3l are angular latch portions 37 and 33 adapted to engage and register with the recesses I9 and 20 at o-pposite sides of the support I0, the outer edges of these portions being parallel and spaced apart less than the eXtreme distance or the recesses I9 and 20 an amount equal to the width of the shoulders 2'I Seated in a recess in the terminal plug I4 and projecting from the face therefrom are coil springs 3S each preferably having an attached metal cap i@ at itsv outer end adapted to bear against the plate SI at opposite sides thereof when the lamp socket and the parts attached thereto are inserted in the support Ill.

ltyy reference particularly to Figs. 2, 4 and 5 it will be seen that there are three stages in the attachment of the socket in the holder; Fig. 4 showing the first position in which the angular latch portion 33 is hooked into the undercut recess Zll beyond the ledges 2l at which time the opposite angular latch portion 31 may be inserted into the opening of the fixture support adjacent the undercut recess I9. At this time the blades Il are pressed into engagement with the corresponding spring receptacle I6 and the movement of the parts together is opposed by the springs 39.

A continued inward sliding movement of the about the latch portion. 38 resting upon the shoulders 2i as an axis brings the latch portion 3l' in line with the undercut recess Ig as shown in Fig. 5. The next movement is to slip the plate 3l laterally with respect to the support lil so that the latch portion 38 is moved outwardly from engagement with the shoulders 2l and into alignment with the ledges o-r shoulders as shown in Fig, 2, the latch portions 3l and 32 at this time being engaged with the undercut recesses i9 and Eil, the undercut edge of the recess IS being clearly shown as a curved line Illa in Fig. 3 and the undercut edges of the recess 20 being shown as the curved line 20a in this same iigure. The parts are held tightly in this engaged and interconnected position by means of the springs 39.

To disengage the parts the interlocking movement above described is reversed; the socket and shade holder with the attached plate 3l is pressed inwardly at the side having the latch portion 38 against, the pressure of the spring 39 until it is beyond the shoulders EI, whereupon the plate may be slipped laterally, thus freeing the opposite latch portion 31 so that it may be withsliding action between them which insures Ya good electrical connection.

In the modification shown by Figs. 6 and 7 a similar sliding connection is made between the blades Il and sockets. I6, the shoulders 2|k lare omitted from the undercut recess 20 and a further latching undercut 50 isv provided in :the undercut recess IS at the other side of the support. A plate 5I is formed with a bentv extremity 52 to engage in the latching undercut 5S where it is held yieldingly in place'by a spring 53 projecting from the plug 54.. The attachment of this structure is similar to that described and shown in Figs. 2, vl and 5, one side of the plate 5I being first inserted in the undercut'recjess 2D', the other side being pressedl inwardly lagainst the spring 53 until the bent locking extremity 5,2 is free for movement into the recess I9 by ya relative movement of the plate 5I and the support I so that the locking extremity may b engaged in the latching undercut 50.

If desired a positive locking screw 55 or other similar fastening device may be inserted through the flange I8 into engagement with, or intothe disengaged by a reverse movement asin the other form of the invention.

'Various changes may be made in. the number and shape of the conductors, the sockets, supports and other parts connected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which consists in the sliding and non-rotating type of connectors and attachments which are slidably connected, resiliently held, and may be tightly locked in position.

I claim: I

l. A lighting xture comprising a non-rotatable electrical connection having separable parts with spring plates and conductor blades insertable slidably together and cooperating fastening means comprising a holder with undercut recesses attached vto one part, and an attachment plate secured to the other part and movable rst into the holder to engage the conductor plates and blades and then slidably with respect to the holder for engagement With the recesses, maintaining the connector plates and blades in slidable, parallel relation.

2. In a iixture ofthe class described, a nonrotatable connection comprising separable parts having sockets and blades thereon for slidable movement together,one of the parts havingundercut recesses at opposite sides and the other part having an attachment plate insertable within one recess and then slidable into the other recess While maintaining the blades and sockets together in slidable non-rotating engagement.

3, -A connector in accordance with claim 2 in which the recess into which the plate is rst in` serted is formed with shoulders engaged by the plate until it is moved into the other recess and then lying parallel with the plate, and resilient means for holding the plate in the undercutrecesses and parallel with the said shoulders'.

4. In a lighting iixture, a support having a rim with opposite undercut recesses, a shade and socket support having an attached plate with projections to engage in the recesses, the plate being of a size to extend into one of the recesses until the opposite side is moved inwardly through the rim to engage with the other recesses, and the first said recess having shouldered portions at its cuter edge to maintain the plate in engagement with both recesses when it is moved into engagement With the other recess.

5. A non-rotatableA lighting fixture in accordance With claim 4 in which the supports are provided Wtih cooperating electrical sockets and blades for slidable connection when moved together, and for maintaining the slidable connection when the said plate is moved into interengaging connection with the opposite recesses.

6. In a lighting fixture, a support having a rim with opposite undercut recesses, a shade and lamp socket support having a plate with opposite portions to engage in the recesses and movable laterally in the rst said support rWithout rotation, means in one of the recesses for limiting the movement of the plate, and spring pressure means engaging the plate and holding it yieldingly in position against said means for preventing disengagement of the plate from the support,

7. In a lighting fixture, a support having a rim With opposite undercut recesses, a shade and lamp socket Support With a plate having opposite projections to engage the undercut portions of both recesses at the same time, one recess being of sufficient depth to receivev one end of the plate and move the other end inwardly of the rim to register with the other recess, the plate being then movable edgeWise to engage bothnndercut portions.

8. In a lighting iixture, a support having an end opening with opposite undercut recesses, a shade and lamp support having a plate with opposite projections slidable in opposite directions to interengage in the recesses and movable into the opening by rst engaging one recess rocking the other side of the plate into the recess about the engaged recess as an axis and then moving the plate edgewise to engage both recesses, and locking means carried by the first support to engage the plate for holding it in engagement with both recesses.

9. In a lighting fixture, a support having an opening With opposite recesses, a shade and lamp socket support having a plate movable into the opening and engageable with both recesses, one end of the plate having a bent extremity and one recess having a receiving portion for engaging the said extremity.

10. In a lighting fixture according to claim 9, a spring carried by the first support and engaging the plate to press the bent extremity yieldingly in engagement with the said receiving portion.

1l. In a lighting fixture according to claim 9, a locking device carried by the rst support movable to engage the plate for holding it against movement in the said receiving portion.

GEORGE ARRAS. 

